Joliet's 10 Biggest Employers Now Versus 2009

JOLIET, IL — At next week's Joliet City Council meeting, the city's elected officials will review the city's annual comprehensive financial report. It's 167 pages, and one of the most interesting data sheets is found near the end, on page 161. It lists Joliet's largest employers from 10 years ago and today.

In 2009, Empress Casino and Caterpillar ranked fourth and fifth as Joliet's largest employers. Today, Empress is called Hollywood Casino & Hotel Joliet and it doesn't crack the city's Top 10.

As for Caterpillar, it closed up shop in Joliet at the end of June. On the other hand, Amazon wasn't on Joliet's Top 10 list in 2009. Now, it's Joliet's largest employer.

According to the data supplied to the city council, here's a rundown of Joliet's 10 largest employers from 2009, followed by a current listing of top employers, based on 2018 employment data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Will County Center for Economic Development:

• Provena St. Joseph Medical Center was No. 1 in 2009 with 2,500 employees. Today, it's called AMITA St. Joseph Medical Center and has 2,598 employees. It's now the city's No. 2 employer.
• Will County government was No. 2 in 2009 with 2,400 employees. Today, Will County government has 2,319 employees. It's now the city's No. 3 employer.
• Silver Cross Hospital was No. 3 in 2009 with 1,800 employees. Last year, the Silver Cross Hospital was demolished. A few years ago, Silver Cross left Joliet and built a new multi-million dollar medical campus in New Lenox near Route 6 and I-355.
• Empress Casino, a riverboat casino, was Joliet's No. 4 employer in 2009 with 1,756 employees. Now it's part of Hollywood Casino. Hollywood Casino did not make the list of current Top 10 employers for Joliet.
• Caterpillar Inc., a tractor and earth-moving equipment maker, was Joliet's No. 5 employer in 2009 with 1,500 employers. On July 1 , as expected, the Caterpillar plant was shut down and the property is now available.

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• J0liet Public School District 86 was No. 6 in 2009 with 1,430 employees. Now, District 86 has moved up to No. 4 with 1,611 employees.
• Harrah's Casino, the downtown Joliet riverboat casino, was No. 7 in 2009 with 1,100 employees. Today, Harrah's has fallen to No. 9 with 782 employees.

• University of St. Francis was No. 8 in 2009 with 1,100 employees. Today, it's not listed on the Top 10.
• City of Joliet, a local government, was listed as No. 9 in 2009 with 925 employees. Today, Joliet has moved up to No. 8 with 848 employees.
• Filtration Group was tied for No. 9 in 2009 with 900 employees, Today, the manufacturing/warehouse company on East Washington Street has climbed to No. 7 with 900 employees.

• Joliet Township High School District 204 was tied for No. 10 with 900 employees in 2009. Today, District 204 has climbed to No. 6 with 919 employees.
• Exxon Mobil, a refinery, was not listed on the Top 10 list in 2009. Today, it is ranked No. 10 with 680 employees.
• Joliet Junior College, a community college district, was not listed on the Top 10 list in 2009. Today it is ranked No. 5 with 1,542 employees.
• Amazon, a fulfillment center, was not listed on the Top 10 list in 2009. Today, it is listed as Joliet's biggest employer with 3,500 workers.